You’ve waited your entire life for this moment and of course, you’ve said “YES” with about a hundred and one exclamations at the end of it. The perfect ring, the perfect man, the perfect moment. You’re on top of the world and only a couple of hours later you realize…

You have a wedding to plan.

Stress takes over and you have no idea where to start! How will I decide the best centerpiece out of the 307 I’ve pinned? And I have eight photographers who I just can’t decide on!

Choices, options, and so many to-do lists. A feat you think may be unachievable looking from the outside in and now, that task is in your hands!

But don’t fear, I’m here to help! So here are my top tips for newly engaged brides-to-be:

Take two weeks to enjoy your engagement! Yes, AT LEAST two weeks! You’ll get family and friends and everyone and their mother asking you, “When’s the big day?!” But before you jump right into it, take a moment to just enjoy your engagement! Take a moment to just gaze at your ring, to go on a couple of date nights without the wedding topic coming up, and to just enjoy what the engagement is all about…you two, together forever. Enjoy each other and enjoy pure bliss before stress and to-do lists begin to take over your life! I promise, you’ll love me for it!

Do your research. You may have two years and you may have just a month to plan but either way, research will in the end give you more time. Meeting with a florist who is well above your budget is only going to waste your time and theirs…and will stress you out even more. So research, plan, and ask questions BEFORE you meet any vendor or venue in person.

Don’t over shop. There are thousands, millions, trillions of wedding ideas on Pinterest and when scrolling through them all, I personally cannot help but pin at least half of them. Because they’re all so perfect! But don’t over shop. Decide on a maximum of THREE centerpieces you love to choose from, three photographers you want to meet. And once you’ve found what you love, make a decision and STOP LOOKING.

Make decisions FOR YOU. Your bridesmaids are going to try to plan their dream wedding for you and your in-laws are going to have a lot of input. But at the end of the day, this is your wedding. Make decisions for you so there are no regrets and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks!

Smile, be happy, and have fun. Ultimately, something will go wrong on your wedding day. It just will! But at the end of the day, if you’ve married the love of your life, the person you want to wake up next to every day for the rest of your life, then your wedding day was 100% a success!

I know it’s easier said than done, but your engagement is a time for planning your marriage, while planning a celebration on the side. Keep your marriage at the core of every decision you make and always remember, the ultimate point of your wedding is your marriage. And that is all that matters.

About the Overwhelmed Bride

Here at The Overwhelmed Bride, we want every bride’s dream to become a reality. We know that everyone is on a tight budget and that our budgets cannot always support our Pinterest dreams, and that is exactly why we are here. We know that the process is stressful and can often turn out to be more of a headache than it seems to be worth but with our help, I promise we will get you there!

We want the wedding planning experience to be a positive one for everyone involved and while that is definitely not the norm, we are working to make it happen for each and every one of you. Whether you are a future mother-in-law, a groom with a beyond stressed fiance, or a soon-to-be bride-to-be, we are here to help calm your nerves and make planning simple.

We write for the frustrated, confused, overwhelmed, and so-over-it brides, getting you to and through your wedding vows…stress-free. While we cannot promise that there won’t be bumps along the way, with our guidance we can make your experience a positive one!